Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 159
The Summerland Board of Education learned several staff members will depart at the end of the school year. Board president Nate Schwager read a resignation letter from Lisa Cook, a mathematics teacher. Superintendent Molly Aschoff said Ashley Koenig, a Ewing graduate, will fill the vacancy. Koenig currently teaches business at Creighton Community Schools. “She will be teaching junior high math and will take the Praxis test to get that certification,” Aschoff said. “With a strong math depar...
In recent weeks, action taken by the federal administration has left many individuals wondering about the status of a small-town staple—the U.S. Department of Agriculture county office. In February, the Trump administration laid off USDA staff across Nebraska and the nation by sending unexpected termination notices to probationary employees. In Nebraska, this resulted in a loss of dozens of staff that directly serve farmers, ranchers, small business owners and rural community members. On M...
This past week, the Judiciary Committee heard testimony on my bill, LB73, relating to law enforcement continuing education requirements. This legislation is the result of conversations I had with area sheriffs last year regarding law enforcement staffing shortages. In 2021, the Legislature passed LB51 which increased the amount of continuing education each law enforcement officer across the state must take each calendar year from 20 hours to 32 hours. LB51 was brought to improve law enforcement...
The legal bills have been piling up in Richardson County. Since 2022, this southeast Nebraska county of fewer than 8,000 people has poured at least $143,000 into fighting a lengthy and contentious legal battle – not with an out-of-state business, or problem property owners. Richardson County is at odds with its own employees. For nearly two years, the 16-person county road department has been locked in a union battle with the county over a new contract and wage increases. The union, r...
PROCEEDINGS SUMMERLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION March 10, 2025 Summerland Public School Board of Education met in regular session, Monday, March 10, 2025, at 7 p.m., in the school board meeting room. President Nate Schwager called the meeting, which was advertised in the March 5, 2025, newspapers, to order at 7 p.m. Schwager noted the Open Meeting Act posted in the boardroom. Roll call was taken. Board members present: Ryan Ahlers, Chelsi McLain, Schwager, Scott Thiele, Austin Twibell, Jeremy Wagner. Motion by Twibell, seconded by...
APPROVED CLAIMS SUMMERLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS Amazon Capital Services, Inc., sup, 483.22; Black Hills Energy, nat gas, 362.80; Bomgaars, sup 9.98; Boyd’s Electrical service, Inc., sup/serv, 254.10; Bud’s Sanitary Service, LLC, trash, 2,774.00; Capital One Bk(USA), NA, rooms/sup/conf exp, 2,641.80; Clearwater Market, sup, 252.81; ColdType Publishing, printing, 125.50; Corner Hardware & More, sup, 2,157.82; DAS State Acctg-Central Finance OCIO, internet line charges, 481.87; Dusty’s, fuel, 314.38; Eakes Office Solutions, sup, 1,306.40; Elkhorn Rural...
Federal resources benefit all Nebraskans, funding essential services like education, health care, infrastructure, and disaster recovery. However, recent actions by the current administration have put rural programs at risk, including those supporting agriculture and energy. Disruptions to federal funding, including those initiated by President Trump’s Executive Order, Unleashing American Energy, pose a risk to rural communities. For example, in July 2024, the Nebraska Department of E...
Funeral services for Barbara E. Schilousky, 77, of Laurel, formerly of Ewing, will be 10 a.m., Tuesday March 18, at Church of Christ in Ewing. Burial will be in Ewing City Cemetery. Visitation will be 5 to 7 p.m., Monday, March 17, at Snider Memorial Funeral Home in Clearwater, with prayer service at 7 p.m. Barbara died March 11, 2025, at Hillcrest Care Center in Laurel. Snider Memorial Funeral Home is handling the arrangements. Condolences may be directed to the family at ww...
When the new Trump administration directed a temporary freeze on federal grants and loans last month, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen's office offered a calm public-facing reaction. But emails and text messages show that many Nebraska state agencies - like organizations across the U.S. - were simmering with questions and concern. The federal directive had thrown into question if and when governments and organizations would get billions they use for everything from housing programs to highway constructi...
Entrepreneurs interested in starting or improving their child care businesses are invited to attend a free conference presented in Spanish. “Growing Together: Spanish Child Care Educators Conference” is scheduled for Saturday, April 5, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at Central Community College in Grand Island. English interpretation is available upon request. “This year's conference has been carefully curated to provide valuable insights and resources for early child care professionals,” said Brissa Borjas Esparza, senior business develop...
Gov. Jim Pillen testified before the Nebraska Legislature's Education Committee, Monday, in favor of LB303, which aims to provide Nebraskans with additional property tax relief by altering the Tax Equity and Educational Opportunities Support Act. Sen. Jana Hughes introduced LB303 at the governor's request. TEEOSA has been Nebraska's school funding formula since 1990. Its primary function is to provide state equalization aid to those schools where the needs exceed budget resources. During his...
Educational Service Unit #8 is has a long-standing commitment to supporting its special education department, which has been expanding to meet the growing needs of special needs students in the school systems. Covering 34 public and non-public school districts across northeastern Nebraska, ESU #8 has been a cornerstone in education since the beginning of 1967. When ESU #8 started, it consisted of very few special education staff members. Currently, ESU #8 has approximately 83 staff members...
This past week, the Legislature concluded bill introduction for this year’s legislative session. A total of 715 bills and 22 resolutions were introduced. Compared to 2023, the Legislature saw fewer bills and resolutions introduced, partially the result of a rule change passed in 2024 to ensure each bill introduced has more time to be heard and considered during the committee hearing process. This year, I introduced 15 bills covering a variety of topics ranging from reducing the number of b...
School board members will take the oath of office when they meet in regular session, Wednesday, Jan. 15. Board officers will be elected and members will divy up duties among committees. Priority discussion items will include staffing and retirement incentive applications. Currently, Summerland lists two 7-12 positions available on the Nebraska Department of Education job website. Superintendent Molly Aschoff will also present an update from the Nebraska Associsation of School Boards. The...
Summerland students will notice one new change when they return to classes following the holiday break. "From bell to bell, students will not be on cell phones," high school principal Jacob Birch told board of education members during the Dec. 11 meeting. Students will be allowed to have phones during passing periods, lunch, before and after school and at activities. "We're not opposed to other things, but we think this is the first step to tell students, 'Show us you can be off them during...
EducationQuest Foundation has awarded 53 Nebraska schools and community agencies $31,500 in Do The FAFSA Nebraska Completion Grants. Summerland Public School is a grant recipient. The grant’s intent is to support schools and community agencies as they host events to assist high school seniors and their families in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Funds can be used to cover promotional and food expenses. Vice president of grants and scholarships, Eric Drumheller, said, “This grant program is designed to promote FAFSA com...
While Pete Ricketts was governor, he and his parents spent serious money supporting state senators – and opposing fellow Republicans who had displeased the governor. Longtime observers say that money helped morph the Legislature, making it less independent and more partisan. In January 2017, Patrick O'Donnell entered the Nebraska State Capitol's cavernous legislative chamber, air heavy with the echo of history's fierce debates and whispered negotiations. The longtime Clerk of the Legislature s...
One. That's the number by which enrollment at Summerland Public Schools dropped for the 2024-25 school year. Superintendent Molly Aschoff supplied the numbers after final enrollment totals were given to the Nebraska Department of Education at the end of September. Records show 442 students are enrolled this year. One noticeable differences is the size of the senior class. Last year, 20 students were enrolled. This year's class has 42 students. Twenty-two students are enrolled in preschool this...
An expansion of a statewide farm-to-school program that brings Nebraska local food products to classrooms across the state is offering students and teachers an opportunity to learn about and try indigenous foods. The Nebraska Department of Education has offered the Harvest of the Month program for many years that allows teachers to select a crop to focus on during any month. The collection of lessons, activities and recipes has highlighted a number of Nebraska crops, ranging from apples to beef...
Summerland Public Schools will potentially add two vehicles to its fleet, using Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds to pay the bill. The district currently has $153,629 in untapped pandemic-related federal funds available. During the board's April meeting, held Monday, Superintendent Kyle Finke suggested the district purchase a 65-passenger Thomas bus with approximately 32,000 miles, for $92,650. "It's coming off a lease," he said. A year ago, the district purchased a bus...
It's easy to understand but hard to remember that the one task of the Nebraska Legislature is to pass a balanced budget during the 90-day session and to make adjustments to and pass that budget again in the 60-day session. Mission accomplished again by the 2024 Legislature, which has a little more than a week of session left. The simple task often gets lost in the shadow of high-profile issues, such as this year's struggle to find a solution for skyrocketing property taxes. With all eyes on...
Either it’s irony or a divine sign that SPS English instructor Katie Schneider shared a blog post on social media last week about the teacher shortage. I’ve been gathering data on the topic for nearly a month, hoping to pull a story together. I’m sharing Schneider’s post with her permission, on this page, under the op-ed label. Schneider addresses parents in her open letter, talking about respect or the lack thereof, about technology and its effects on a child’s brain and behavior, about letting...
This week, my personal priority bill, LB1301, was put before the Unicameral for the first stage of consideration. LB1301 would modernize our state’s existing laws relating to foreign land ownership. The bill would add greater oversight and tighten restrictions on so-called restricted entities or their agents, trustees or fiduciaries, referenced in two federal lists: the persons and entities designated by the Office of Foreign Assets Control and the six countries designated as foreign a...
Nebraska’s new voter identification law, which takes effect in the May 14 statewide primary, requires Nebraska voters to present a photo ID before voting. In an effort to ensure all Nebraskans are prepared, the Nebraska Secretary of State’s office is mailing letters to voters who may not have an acceptable form of photo ID to vote. About 97% of registered voters in Nebraska already have a driver’s license or state ID, according to information from county election offices and the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles. The letters are a proac...
Much of this week’s activity focused on broadband and the Nebraska Department of Transportation, along with some controversy relating to education policy. The Transportation and Telecommunications Committee heard three of my bills this week. LB1038 would make a small change to the membership requirement of the Nebraska Information Technology Commission, which develops and reviews our state’s information technology plans. The commission currently has nine voting members and one member from the...
